diff --git a/components/esp_websocket_client/esp_websocket_client.c b/components/esp_websocket_client/esp_websocket_client.c
index ef9721125a..60893893ec 100644
--- a/components/esp_websocket_client/esp_websocket_client.c
+++ b/components/esp_websocket_client/esp_websocket_client.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2022 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2023 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -756,6 +756,18 @@ esp_err_t esp_websocket_client_set_headers(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client,
     return ret;
 }
 
+esp_err_t esp_websocket_client_set_header(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, const char *key, const char *value)
+{
+    if (client == NULL || client->state != WEBSOCKET_STATE_CONNECTED || key == NULL) {
+        return ESP_ERR_INVALID_ARG;
+    }
+
+    xSemaphoreTakeRecursive(client->lock, portMAX_DELAY);
+    esp_err_t ret = esp_transport_ws_set_header(client->transport, key, value);
+    xSemaphoreGiveRecursive(client->lock);
+    return ret;
+}
+
 static esp_err_t esp_websocket_client_recv(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client)
 {
     int rlen;
diff --git a/components/esp_websocket_client/include/esp_websocket_client.h b/components/esp_websocket_client/include/esp_websocket_client.h
index 318ae8bc4e..579d7491d5 100644
--- a/components/esp_websocket_client/include/esp_websocket_client.h
+++ b/components/esp_websocket_client/include/esp_websocket_client.h
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2021 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
+ * SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015-2023 Espressif Systems (Shanghai) CO LTD
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  */
@@ -165,6 +165,21 @@ esp_err_t esp_websocket_client_set_uri(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, con
  */
 esp_err_t esp_websocket_client_set_headers(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, const char *headers);
 
+/**
+ * @brief      Set websocket headers for the client
+ *
+ *  Notes:
+ *  - should not be used together with `esp_websocket_client_set_headers`
+ *
+ * @param[in]  client  The client
+ * @param[in]  key     The header key
+ * @param[in]  value   The header value
+
+ *
+ * @return     esp_err_t
+ */
+esp_err_t esp_websocket_client_set_header(esp_websocket_client_handle_t client, const char *key, const char *value);
+
 /**
  * @brief      Open the WebSocket connection
  *